Dining Out: Starbelly

I don't know if it's the Italian in me, but I love a good antipasto plate. One key piece to an antipasto plate is the cured meat. Starbelly, a restaurant nearby in the Castro, specializes in charcuterie -- a culinary specialty that originally referred to the creation of pork products such as salami, sausages, and prosciutto is the art of turning preserved food into items of beauty and taste -- and once again their salumi plate wowed both the eyes and the taste buds.

From left to right: Lardo and Salami Finocchiana

When we started walking to the restaurant it was lightly misting; by the time we arrived it was a light downpour. So we started off our dinner with Madeira Hot Toddies and house cut fries. The drinks hit the spot, warming our hands and our insides.

The fries were perfectly crispy with the right blend of sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and accompanied by three dipping sauces.

cubes favored the remoulade dipping sauce while I monopolized the Basil aioli. The Basil aioli was light and paired nicely with the salt and pepper. The ketchup was a little overwhelming.

Just as we finished the fries the salumi plate came out (pictured at the top of the post as well as below). Again, cubes and I each had different favorites. I favored the Salami Finocchiana; cubes devoured the Spanish Chorizo.

From left to right: Salami Finocchiana and Spanish Chorizo

For dinner, cubes had the Roasted Half Local Chicken, Wild Mushroom & Mascarpone Risotto. He thought the chicken was flavorful and moist.

I had the Fresh Spaghetti, Starbelly Bacon, Jalapeno, Tomato Sauce & Basil. While Basil was in the title of the dish, I found and tasted little evidence of it. It seemed as though the chef had replaced the basil with garlic. Luckily, I love garlic. The noodles were al dente, but overall the dish wasn't memorable. I wouldn't order it again.

Credits: All images taken by Eden Hensley Silverstein for Recipes for the Good Life.